Growing Colorado beverage company Wilding Brands appears to be on a buying spree, with another Denver brewery acquisition announced Thursday.
Wilding has purchased Station 26 Brewing Co., a 12-year-old beer maker located in Denver’s Park Hill neighborhood. The brewery is best known for its Juicy Banger IPA and its cozy taproom located in a converted firehouse.
As part of the deal, Wilding Brands will take over brewing and canning all Station 26 beers. The taproom at 7045 E. 38th Ave. is expected to remain open. Brewery founder Justin Baccary will also join the company, where he will “contribute to craft beverage development and support the growing number of taprooms and restaurants in the Wilding portfolio,” according to the announcement.
Wilding declined to share the financial terms of the acquisition.
“We’ve built something really special over the last decade, and joining Wilding is an exciting next step that brings new energy and a shared passion for craft, creativity, and community,” Baccary said in a statement.
“Justin has built a strong community around Station 26 and the quality speaks for itself,” added Charlie Berger, chief development officer for Wilding Brands. “His vision perfectly aligns with what we’re building at Wilding: a new chapter in Colorado craft brewing based on quality and locality across an amazing variety of the best craft beverages and hospitality experiences in Colorado.”
Berger is also co-founder of Denver Beer Co., which partnered with Stem Ciders and Funkwerks brewery in late 2024 to form Wilding Brands. Its portfolio includes the founding companies plus Howdy Beer, Easy Living sparkling hop water, Cerveceria Colorado, and Formation Brewing, a new concept in Phoenix.
In April, the company acquired legacy beer maker Great Divide Brewing Co., though founder Brian Dunn did not join the Wilding team. Instead, he independently managed Great Divide’s two Denver taprooms – both of which will close on June 30 — as well as relationships with the brewery’s licensed restaurants in Castle Rock, Lakewood and Lone Tree. Three Great Divide-branded suburban restaurants will remain open, as will the taproom inside Denver International Airport.
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